Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Over the next two weeks the "Kresta in the Afternoon" blog will be on hiatis as we celebrate Christmas. The program has begun our annual countdown of the top interviews of 2010, and will reach it's peak on Dec. 31 with the top 5. So tune in and enjoy the best we had to offer over the last year and be with on live on Jan. 3. You can also keep up with the countdown at http://www.avemariaradio.net/ in the Kresta Guest Archives. Merry Christmas and God's blessings!!!

Friday, December 17, 2010

4:00 – 6:00: Christmas Book / DVD Recommendation Special
Today it’s our annual book/DVD recommendation Christmas special! We invite some of our regular guests and favorite people to join us and recommend some of the books they have read in the last year as ideas for last minute gift-buying. From spy novels to spiritual classics and everything in between, we have assembled a literary panel of the highest caliber and widest variety. Guests includeDave Forsmark, Mike Aquilina, Sandra Miesel, Joseph Pearce, Steve Ray, Paul Kengor, Sheila Liaugminas, Kris McGregor, and Steven Greydanus.Sit down with your pen and notebook and ENJOY!!!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Despite the threat of the imminent revocation of its status as a Catholic institution, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix issued a brief statement on December 15 defending an abortion that took place there. The abortion took place in late 2009 after a hospital ethics committee deemed the killing of the unborn child necessary to save the life of the mother.

“We believe that all life is sacred,” the hospital said in its statement. “In this case we saved the only life we could save, which was the mother’s.”

In a November 22 letter, Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix told the president of the hospital’s parent company, Catholic Healthcare West (CHW), that on December 17 he will declare that the hospital is no longer a Catholic institution unless CHW recognizes that the abortion violated the US bishops’ ethical directives and pledges it “will never occur again.”

“The bishop and his staff are working together with Catholic Healthcare West and St. Joseph’s Hospital to find the best way to provide authentic Catholic health care in accordance with the Church’s teaching,” Bishop Olmsted’s spokesman said in a December 15 statement.

Reacting to news of the bishop’s letter, the ACLU again urged the federal government to compel religious hospitals to provide “emergency abortions,” and Lisa Fullam, professor of moral theology at the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University, urged the hospital to defy the bishop.

On Wednesday's Hardball, Chris Matthews brought told former Washington D.C. chancellor of public schools Michelle Rhee to "stay away from the right wing" because she was "too good to be grabbed by some ideological fool."

4:00 - Oracles of Science: Celebrity Scientists versus God and Religion
Biologists Stephen Jay Gould, Richard Dawkins, and Edward O. Wilson, and physicists Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, and Steven Weinberg have become public intellectuals, articulating a much larger vision for science and what role it should play in the modern worldview. The scientific prestige and literary eloquence of each of these great thinkers combine to transform them into what can only be called oracles of science. Curiously, the leading "oracles of science" are predominantly secular in ways that don't reflect the distribution of religious beliefs within the scientific community. Many of them are even hostile to religion, creating a false impression that science as a whole is incompatible with religion. Karl Giberson offers an informed analysis of the views of these six scientists, carefully distinguishing science from philosophy and religion in the writings of the oracles.

4:20 – The Bible's Best Love StoriesAllen Wright is here to delve into the Bible, the greatest collection of love stories ever told. He selects 20 stories for us to experience in a new way. He identifies from Old and New Testaments the people who wanted to love and to be loved, people with passion, people who formed strong bonds of friendship, people who were loyal, people who had sexual desires, people who failed and received forgiveness, and people who strived to find God in the providence of their daily lives. He examines twenty stories of all kinds of love—spousal, friend, familial, etc.—in the Bible and challenges us to make the "love connection" in our own lives and in our relationship with God.

5:00 – Catholic Answers to Catholic Questions
Over 2,000 years of tradition can lead to many questions and misunderstandings about the Catholic Faith. Why do Catholics pray for the dead?...Is there humor in the Bible?...Is purgatory painful?...Is there a dispensation for missing Mass when traveling?...Be more confident in your faith. Allow the why to enhance the what you do as a Catholic. Make better decisions. Be more prepared to pass on your faith to others. Feed your curiosity. Author, theology professor, and Catholic apologist Paul Thigpen ensures the answers are not only rock-solid, but also pastoral in their approach and written in everyday, relevant language.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

On December 17, Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix will declare that St. Joseph’s Hospital is no longer a Catholic institution unless its parent company recognizes that the abortion that took place there violated the US bishops’ ethical directives and pledges it “will never occur again.”

The bishop’s November 22 letter to Lloyd H. Dean, president of Catholic Healthcare West (CHW), followed earlier correspondence in which Catholic Healthcare West, relying on the analysis of M. Therese Lysaught, attempted to justify the killing of the unborn child that took place at the hospital in late 2009. Lysaught is associate professor of theology and director of graduate studies at Marquette University.

In response, Bishop Olmsted wrote that as bishop, it was his task to interpret the moral law and the bishops’ ethical norms authoritatively within the diocese.

Bishop Olmstead also stated that if St. Joseph’s Hospital wished to remain a Catholic hospital, it must consent to a review by the diocesan medical ethics board and training of its staff by the medical ethics board or the National Catholic Bioethics Center.

Going beyond the issue of St. Joseph’s Hospital, Bishop Olmsted blasted Catholic Healthcare West for operating some hospitals that do not abide by the US bishops’ ethical directives. Citing the example of a hospital within diocesan boundaries, he spoke of his

"absolute objection to CHW operating hospitals without following the ERDs [Ethical and Religious Directives]; namely my objections to your administration of Chandler Regional Hospital, where as an organization calling itself “Catholic,” CHW authorizes sterilizations and I know not what other immoral acts. I continue to find this arrangement deeply troubling."

With 53,000 employees, Catholic Healthcare West is the nation’s eighth-largest nonprofit hospital chain.

In September 2009, Dean, Catholic Healthcare West’s president and CEO, lauded a speech by President Obama on healthcare reform. According to Federal Election Commission records, Mr. Dean made $10,000 in contributions to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee over a ten-day period earlier that summer and donated an additional $250 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. An early supporter of Obama’s presidential campaign, Mr. Dean gave $2,300 to Obama for America in September 2007.

Catholic Healthcare West, California’s largest nonprofit hospital provider, has 41 hospitals, more than 10,000 physicians, and 53,000 employees. In an article examining the salaries of nonprofit hospital CEOs, The Wall Street Journal reported in 2008 that “Catholic Healthcare West, a hospital system based in San Francisco, forgave a $782,541 housing loan it made to its CEO, Lloyd Dean. Counting the forgiven loan, Mr. Dean’s total accrued compensation in 2005 was $5.8 million. Catholic Healthcare West says his compensation reflects his skill in turning the hospital system around financially.” Dean also serves as a Wells Fargo director.

4:00 – The Coming Revolution: Struggle for Freedom in the Middle East
After the 9/11 Commission concluded in 2004 that the U.S. was engaged in a war with terrorists and never realized it, they reasoned that “a failure of imagination” had prevented us from seeing terrorism coming. In effect, Americans were simply unable, or in fact disabled, to fathom that there were people who hated and opposed our democracy with such ferocity. But after billions of dollars and almost a decade fighting a war in the Middle East, will we miss the threat again? Walid Phares argues that a fierce race for control of the Middle East is on, and the world’s future may depend on the outcome.

4:20 – The Star of Bethlehem
From Producer Stephen McEveety (The Passion of the Christ) comes an amazing documentary on the Star of Bethlehem. This presentation has rapidly grown in popularity around the world by thousands who have seen this dramatic revelation as it explores the exciting truth of scripture and reveals the evidence for God s existence as seen in the stars above. Presenter Rick Larson walks you through Biblical and historical clues revealing the incredible significance of this celestial event as well as the vastness of God s creativity.

5:00 – Light of the World
Never has a Pope, in a book-length interview, dealt so directly with such wide-ranging and controversial issues as Pope Benedict XVI does in Light of the World. Taken from a recent week-long series of interviews with veteran journalist Peter Seewald, this book tackles head-on some of the greatest issues facing the world of our time – and the controversy has been huge. We look at the preoccupation of the media with the section of the book dealing with sexuality and condom use, but we get much deeper as well. The book was published in English last week by Ignatius Press. We talk to Ignatius Press Founder and Editor, as well as student of then-Professor Joseph Ratzinger - Jesuit Father Joseph Fessio.

5:40 – Light of the World
We continue our discussion of Pope Benedict’s Light of the World with Fr. Robert Barron of Word on Fire Ministries.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Resistance to the Liu Xiaobo Nobel, the Patriotic Assembly of Catholic Representatives, celebrated as a victory, are a humiliation for China, a major economic power that shamefully ignores human rights. But the participation of bishops and priests in an act against the Pope is also a defeat for the Vatican and the Church. A passionate analysis by the emeritus bishop of Hong Kong.

(AsiaNews) The empty chair onstage in the Oslo municipal hall makes me remember the two empty chairs in the Synodal Hall, when in 1998, for the first time, I participated in the Synod of bishops: one was for Bishop Duan Ying Ming of Wan Xian, the other for his Coadjutor Bishop. Still for the Synod of two years ago, a delegation from China was not possible, because someone had insisted to include in the group an illegitimate bishop. In the Synod of 1998 I said: "In China there is no real religious freedom." Unfortunately, last month at the Consistory of November 19, I had to give the same bad news to my brethren Cardinals: "In China there is still no religious freedom."

The Eighth Assembly of the Representatives of the Chinese Catholics was "victoriously" successful, as “victoriously successful” was the preventing of Liu Xiaobo from going to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Are our leaders are truly proud of similar "victories"? The fact that China has become an economic power, allows them to ignore so shamefully the human rights? Those who bow to you for business interests, do they respect you in their hearts? Wake up! Please, save a little the dignity of our great nation, famous for its ancient civilization and its refined etiquette.

The Pope, in his letter to the Church in China in 2007, has gently explained the nature of the Catholic Church, which is recognized by all civilized nations of the world (see Letter of the Pope, Chapter 9, Paragraph 3). The Catholic Church is founded by Jesus on the Apostles headed by Saint Peter and today must be guided by the Pope, the successor of Peter and by the bishops, the successors of the Apostles. Therefore, the so-called democratic leadership of this Church through an Assembly that stands above the bishops is contrary to the nature of the Church (see Letter of Pope, Chapter 7, Paragraphs 1, 3, 5, 6, 7). Even some academics in China are of the opinion that it is time to correct this peculiar Chinese Church system so unusual in the complex of the universal Church, so that the Church in China can have those characteristics enjoyed by the universal Church (see the Annual Report on the Religions of the year 2010 by the Academy of Social Sciences in China).

It is incomprehensible how the Central Government has allowed to happen what should not have ever happened again. This destructive action can only create an impasse and so leave those with benefits gained to continue to enjoy them. The police, that should defend the safety of the people, has used violence to curb religious freedom and restrict personal freedom. This is a disgrace to our country. This fascist style and these brigand manners are diametrically opposed to the declared policy of a harmonious society. Therefore, what happened was a defeat for our Government.

Was there also a defeat for the Church since so many bishops, priests, nuns and faithful took part in the Assembly? We cannot say no. We are not like that clerk of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples or like Fr. Jeroom Heyndrickx who, even after the Chende episode, still says that those bishops who attended the illegitimate ordination of a bishop are heroes, are winners.

Of course, we all know that there has been enormous pressure. But the fact is that the Letter of the Pope was not respected and that the Press Release of the Commission for the Church in China has not been taken into account. Where did the strength of faith go? The Holy Father has repeatedly said that we must be ready to accept the provisional defeat, to maintain the faith without compromises, and that the suffering accepted for faith will lead to real victory. These words of Holy Father have been forgotten?

On December 1, that is, after the events of Chengde and before the Assembly, during the Angelus, the Pope said that we must pray Our Lady Help of Christians... to support the bishops in China, so that they may bravely testify to the faith and put their hope in the Savior whom we expect. The Savior whom we expect not only refers to the coming Christmas this year, but also to the Savior who will come on the clouds of heaven to judge humankind. But perhaps our bishops and priests did not have the opportunity to hear these words...

At this point that clerk of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of peoples and Fr. Heyndrickx will say to me: "You, sitting comfortably on your sofa, you allow yourself to solemnly pronounce judgment on these your brethren." No, it is not true. I know I represent countless priests and faithful in China, of both the official and the underground communities. They are shocked, saddened, and bewildered. The wonder: "What has become our Church?" There is a priest who expressed himself thus on Internet: "Father Heyndrickx, we are not winners. We are sufferers. Keep to yourself your beautiful desires. I, as a priest in the front-line, I find suffering everywhere. Your wishes are built on us suffering priests. The larger your desires, the bigger our sorrows. It’s just like that."

In this situation where the police unleashed its wicked force and the news are hermetically closed, we do not know when the Holy See will have purged the truth and will pronounce a judgment. We can only pray that the Lord give us wisdom. In any case, please, do not do the same as in the case of the installation of Bishop Francis An Shu Xin of Baoding, when on which still nothing hasn't been said.

In the Pope’s book The Light of the World, published on 23 November, there is a passage that can help us in our reflection. When the reporter asked the Holy Father: "When you go deep into history, is not there a feeling of shock and sadness at the thought of how much and how often the Church has deviated from the main road, indicated to her by the Son of God?" The Pope answers: "At this time marked by scandals, we did experience this feeling of sadness and pain, seeing how miserable is the Church and how easily its members can fail in the following of Jesus Christ. The first thing is that this we have to experience this for our mortification, for our genuine humility. The second thing is that, despite this, He does not abandon the Church. He, despite the weakness shown in the Church by her members, raises up in her the Saints and thus manifests His presence."

In the mystery of the Mystical Body, let us share the burden of defeat. Perhaps we should recognise that we have not supported sufficiently with prayer our brothers and sisters in so serious difficulties. Then, let us do penance with them!

4:20 – Milwaukee priest publishes op-ed advocating women priests
Sixteen years after Venerable John Paul II declared that “the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful,” a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has written a newspaper column stating that the ordination of women would make “better sense” because women are more fitting images of the Church as the Bride of Christ. Father Victor Capriolo, a pastor in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, wrote, “To study the Church is to realize that the one constant in her history has been change.” We talk about this with Dr. Monica Miller.

5:00 – Kresta Comments – The Rise of New Age Literature?

5:20 – Infinite Bandwidth: Encountering Christ in the Media
Franciscan University of Steubenville Professor Eugene Gan has written the first-of-its-kind Catholic roadmap for the digital age: Infinite Bandwidth: Encountering Christ in the Media. He navigates you faithfully through the digital world, encouraging frustrated parents not to throw out cell phones, ban the Internet, chuck computers, or pitch portable media devices. That would be a mistake and believe it or not would be going against more than seven decades of Catholic teaching. From Church documents on social communications, Gan extracts seven principles or media keys of how to approach and use media. The Church and Gan say that we must enter into the modern day Areopagus, the social and intellectual hub of ancient Athens where Paul preached to pagans, and use the media tools God has given us to make truth known and serve mankind.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez has praised the passage of the DREAM Act in the House of Representatives, and called on the U.S. Senate to also pass the immigration reform measure.

Archbishop Gomez, the chair of the Committee on Migration for the U.S. bishops’ conference and co-adjutor archbishop of Los Angeles, commended the House for its “courageous and historic vote.” He said the legislation would give undocumented young people “a chance to reach their full, God-given potential.”

The bill would allow young people brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents before the age of 16 to apply for legal permanent residence and eventual citizenship as long as they completed two years of higher education or military service.

"We cannot let this moment pass. Our Senators must also pass this important legislation, so that it can be signed into law by the President as soon as possible," the archbishop continued.

According to Archbishop Gomez, the legislation would provide a “fair opportunity” to thousands of deserving young persons who want to become Americans.

"This would not only benefit them, but our country as well. It is the right thing to do, for them and for our nation," he said.

On Dec. 9 the Senate voted not to consider its version of the DREAM Act. This leaves open the possibility of a vote on the House version next week while avoiding any need to reconcile the Senate and House versions of the bill.

If the Senate approves the House version, the bill would go to President Obama for his signature.

American diplomats believed that Pope Benedict XVI was thinking of Anglicans in the US and Australia as well as Great Britain when he extended an invitation to Anglicans in Anglicanorum Coetibus, according to documents revealed by Wikileaks.

The US diplomatic communications show that the Pope’s gesture was opposed by Anglican leaders. The British government also was concerned about the move, and the British ambassador reportedly warned against angry—even possibly violent—reactions against Catholics if Pope Benedict went through with his plans.

The Wikileaks documents—in this as in other cases—show that American (and in this case also British) diplomatic personnel had a limited understanding of Vatican policies.

UPDATE:

In related news...

An American account of the kidnapping and murder of an Iraqi bishop, as described in documents made pubic by Wikileaks, is seriously inaccurate according to Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk. The Wikileaks documents on the death of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho—the Chaldean Catholic leader of Mosul, who died was kidnapped in February 2008 and killed by his captors soon thereafter—“say that he was killed immediately, and this is not true,” Archbishop Sako said.

Archbishop Rahho was abducted by gunmen who immediately shot and killed his three companions, the Iraqi prelate said. But the archbishop himself was kept alive. Archbishop Sako explained that the kidnappers “negotiated a big ransom that the Church could not pay,” and only then was Archbishop Rabbo killed.

Archbishop Sako said that the diplomatic documents made public by Wikileaks show an effort at “politicizing the kidnapping.” He explained:

He was reported as having been killed by Al Qaida. Who knows, maybe Al Qaida or maybe others; nobody can know. There was no enquiry, and this is a big problem in Iraq. Each one can kill everyone and nobody cares and/or is following up the case.

Michelle Obama on Child Nutrition: "We Can’t Just Leave It Up To The Parents". This is a great example of a real mindset problem. This mindset leads to the notion that government MUST be involved in just about everything because where parents may fail their children - government must step in. Where employers may fail their employees - government must step in. Where business may fail their consumer - government must step in. Where schools may fail their students - government must step in. That isn't just a slippery slope, it's pure ice.

4:00 – Federal Health Care Bill Struck Down As Unconstitutional: Headed for Supreme Court?
The Obama administration’s requirement that most citizens maintain minimum health coverage as part of a broad overhaul of the industry is unconstitutional a federal judge ruled, striking down the linchpin of the plan. U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson in Richmond, Virginia, today rule that the requirement in President Barack Obama’s health-care legislation goes beyond Congress’s powers to regulate interstate commerce. While severing the coverage mandate, which was to become effective in 2014, Hudson didn’t address other provisions such as expanding Medicaid. We talk about this case with Rob Muise of the Thomas More Law Center and Timothy Tracey at Ave Maria Law School

4:20 – Little Star
A king is about to be born! The stars in the heavens are competing to shine the brightest to celebrate his birth. But when they see the poor family, the donkey, the shabby stable, the stars all think, That can’t possibly be a king. We’ve been fooled. All except one. The smallest, loneliest star in the sky, Little Star, is the only one to understand what the king was about to bring to the world. But what can Little Star do for him? Certain to become a Christmas classic, this delightful tale from Anthony DeSteffano connects the star atop our Christmas trees to the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, in the hearts and minds of young children.

4:40 – Thrift Store Saints
Thrift Store Saints is a collection of true stories based on Jane Knuth’s experiences serving the poor at a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in the inner city of Kalamazoo, Michigan. At the outset, Knuth is a reluctant new volunteer at the store, sharing that her middle-class, suburban, church-going background has not prepared her well for this kind of work. By the end, Knuth has undergone a transformation of sorts, and neither she nor we can ever view the poor in the same way again. Knuth s transformation is rooted in the prevailing message of Thrift Store Saints: When we serve the poor, they end up helping us as much as we help them. Throughout the book we are introduced to new saints, as Knuth thoughtfully, at times humorously, describes how her encounters with the poorest people led her to the greatest riches of God s grace.

Friday, December 10, 2010

A Christan pastor in Iran has been sentenced to death for allegedly renouncing his Muslim religion and another faces a possible indictment on the same charge of apostasy, according to a prominent activist group working for human rights in Iran.

Youcef Nadarkhani, a 32-year-old member of the Church of Iran ministry and pastor of an approximately 400-person congregation in the northern city of Rasht, faces death, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

In the southern city of Shiraz, another Christian pastor, Behrouz Sadegh-Khanjani, 35, is facing a possible indictment for apostasy.

"This is part of a greater trend of persecution against Christians," said Firouz Sadegh-Khanjani, brother of Behrouz and member of the Church of Iran's Executive Council.

Christians are feeling the heat in other parts of the Muslim world as well.

In Iraq, Christians have been attacked and many have fled their homes for other lands. In Pakistan, a Christian woman faces a death sentence for blasphemy for allegedly defiling the name of the Prophet Mohammed.

On September 22, Iran's 11th Circuit Criminal Court of Appeals for the Gilan Province upheld the death sentence and conviction of Nadarkhani for apostasy.

Apostasy is the "act of renouncing one's religion," the human rights group said Tuesday, but it "is not a crime under Iran's Islamic Penal Code. Instead, the presiding judge in Nadarkhani's case rested his opinion on texts by Iranian religious scholars."

"It is the low point of any judicial system to sentence a person to death outside of its own legal framework," said Aaron Rhodes, a spokesman for the campaign.

"To execute someone based on the religion they choose to practice or not practice is the ultimate form of religious discrimination and disregard for the freedom of conscience and belief."

The judgment said Nadarkhani was born to Muslim parents but converted to Christianity when he was age 19 and it said that "during interrogations Nadarkhani made a written confession admitting he left Islam for Christianity."

He said during his trial that his "interrogators pressured him into making the statement," the campaign said.

"I am not an apostate. ... Prior to 19 years old I did not accept any religion," Nadarkhani said at trial, according to the campaign.

Leonard Leo, chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said the "draconian language in the verdict makes it very clear that the Iranian authorities mean business. He could be executed at any time. And for what? For being a Christian."

"We call upon the Obama administration and the international community to use every means available, to raise this issue and demand the unconditional release of Mr. Nadarkhani."

USCIRF officials said the last known execution of a Christian in Iran for apostasy was 20 years ago this month.

I want you to decide. Is this an outrageous statement on Palin's part - that it's the media's fault that people think I'm uninformed and polarizing? Use the comments box to let us know. Palin's fault? Media's fault? Equal fault to go around?

4:00 – Beyond a House Divided: The Moral Consensus Ignored by Washington, Wall Street, and the Media
If you follow politics or the news, America is a country of culture wars and great divides, a partisan place of red states and blue states, of us against them. From pundits to politicians it seems that anyone with an audience sees a polarized country - a country at war with itself. In a radical departure from this "conventional wisdom," Carl Anderson explores what the talking heads have missed: an overwhelming American consensus on many of the country's seemingly most divisive issues. If the debates are shrill in public, he says, there is a quiet consensus in private - one that America's institutions ignore at their peril. From health care, to the role of religion in America, to abortion, to the importance of traditional ethics in business and society, Anderson uses fresh polling data and keen insight to show that a surprising consensus has emerged despite these debates. He sheds light on what's been missing in the public and political debates of the last several years: the consensus that isn't hard to find if you know where to look. Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, joins us.

4:40 – “Defying Deletion” in IraqAndre Anton is a 26-year-old Assyrian filmmaker who lost two cousins in the massacre earlier this month at the Iraqi church, Our Lady of Salvation. He recently produced a documentary, "Defying Deletion" about the violence against civilians in post-war Iraq and joins us to look at this issue.

5:00 – A First-Person Interview with St. NicholasSt. Nicholas was born into wealth, became Governor or Myra, was an attorney and ended up a Bishop, persecuted by Diocletian, and became one of Christianity’s most beloved saints. We talk to St. Nicholas about his life, his ministry, and how he became universally known as Santa Claus.

5:40 – Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their cousin Eustace, are swallowed into a painting and transported back to Narnia and the magnificent ship The Dawn Treader. They join King Caspian and a warrior mouse, Reepicheep, for a mission which holds the fate of Narnia itself. They overcome their own greatest temptations, as they travel to mysterious islands, have fateful confrontations with magical creatures and sinister enemies and reunite with their friend and protector, the "Great Lion" Aslan. Nick Thomm has returned from London where he attended the world premiere and press junket for the film and today the film is released and we have Nick’s review.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

The Population Research Institute (PRI) just released the fourth episode of their highly popular YouTube cartoon series. The series, which has to date garnered more than a half-million views, is designed to humorously refute the idea of overpopulation with stick figure animation.

This latest video tackles the roots causes of poverty and how to alleviate it. (Hint: overpopulation is not the cause of poverty.) All of this, while retaining the wry, humorous tone of its predecessors.

“Reducing the number of people in the world would not make those who remain any wealthier," says Joseph Powell, the creator and animator of the series. “But, as we show in our video, that's not how it works, and population control won't change that.”

“We set out to be entertaining,” adds Colin Mason, PRI's Director of Media Production and the video's editor. “The idea is to artfully enthrall the viewer, who at the same time effortlessly absorbs certain demographic truths, chiefly, that people in their numbers create wealth, not poverty."

“The fight against the myth of overpopulation does not have to be a bare-knuckled brawl,” says Steven Mosher, PRI's president. “These videos are funny and easy to digest, the very opposite of Al Gore's boring pronouncements on the 'dangers' of too many people. Our viewers end up considering the science that supports our pro-people position, often for the very first time. We say to our skeptics: watch, laugh, and learn.”

4:00 – Embryo: A Defense of Human Life
Typically, right-to-life arguments have been based explicitly on moral and religious grounds. In Embryo, Robert George eschews religious arguments and makes a purely scientific and philosophical case that the fetus, from the instant of conception, is a human being, with all the moral and political rights inherent in that status. As such, stem cell research that destroys a viable embryo represents the unacceptable taking of a human life. George is here to fearlessly grapple with the political, scientific, and cultural consequences arising from his position.

5:00 – The Little Way of Lent: Meditations in the Spirit of St. Therese of Lisieux
While reading the autobiography of St. Thérèse, Fr. Gary Caster had an 'ah ha' moment that transformed his experience of Lent from one of narrow concern over what to give up to one of joyful freedom to enter into the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. "What struck me," he says, "was her insistence on the way we do things for God and not the things we do for him. It wasn't about what I was offering; it was about why." The daily Lenten meditations in this book—all colored by St. Thérèse's Little Way of Spiritual Childhood—will transform you, too, helping you focus not so much on what you have done to offend God, but on what he has done to redeem you. He joins us as we being this Advent season.

5:20 – Gray Lady Down: What the Decline and Fall of the New York Times Means for America
The New York Times was once considered the gold standard in American journalism and the most trusted news organization in America, as well as being a great Christian newspaper. Today, it is generally understood to be a vehicle for politically correct ideologies, tattered liberal pieties, and a repeated victim of journalistic scandal and institutional embarrassment. In Gray Lady Down, the hard-hitting follow up to Coloring the News, William McGowan asks who is responsible for squandering the finest legacy in American journalism. Combining original reporting, critical assessment and analysis, McGowan exposes the Times’ obsessions with diversity, “soft” pop cultural news, and countercultural Vietnam-era attitudinizing, and reveals how these trends have set America’s most important news icon at odds with its journalistic mission—and with the values and perspectives of much of mainstream America. He joins us.

4:00–6:00: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception
In the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus of 8 December, 1854, Pius IX pronounced and defined that the Blessed Virgin Mary "in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin." Al dedicates today as a special program to discuss the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

4:00 – The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church
The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church is a unique resource. It introduces you to the teachings of the first Christians in a way no other work can. It is specially designed to make it easy for you to find the information you want and need. Amazing features in this fact-packed book include: - More than 900 quotations from the writings of the early Church Fathers, as well as from rare and important documents dating back to the dawn of Christian history. - Mini-biographies of nearly 100 Fathers, as well as descriptions of dozens of key early councils and writings. - A concise history of the dramatic spread of Christianity after Jesus told his disciples to evangelize all nations. - A guide to nearly 30 ancient heresies, many of which have returned to haunt the modern world. - The Fathers' teaching on nearly 50 topics, including modern hot-button issues like abortion, homosexuality, and divorce. Author Jimmy Akin is with us.

5:00 – Relativism: A Historic, Philosophical, and Practical View
The day before he was elected Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger warned the world of a “Dictatorship of Relativism.” The choice of words was striking. Simply put, the Dictatorship of Relativism is now demanding that when religious faith comes into conflict with non-faith, faith must give way. We talk with FrankBeckwith about relativism from a historic, philosophical and practical view.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Philadelphia's City Hall returned the word “Christmas” to an archway near a local holiday market after the city's archdiocese among others protested its initial removal.

On Nov. 30, city Managing Director Richard Negrin allegedly had the word “Christmas” taken off the 15 ft. archway leading to a German-style market just outside the City Hall. Negrin had apparently received complaints from an unspecified number of employees and visitors, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

On Dec. 1, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia issued a statement condemning the removal of the word, which was written in small white lights.

“This decision is a stark example of the secularization that is obscuring the true meaning of the Christmas season,” the statement read, adding that true diversity respects all celebrations occurring this time of year.

“Christmas deserves its rightful place among those,” it added. “If we are truly to use common sense, we should understand that Christmas villages and trees are just that and not vague symbols of some nebulous winter 'holiday' devoid of meaning.”

News of the removal went viral after the Daily News reported on it, spawning a widespread negative reaction. In addition to the archdiocese's protest, local Councilwoman Joan Krajewski said the move pandered to political correctness and disrespected Christians.

The uproar over the sign began when locals saw workers taking the Christmas sign down on Monday. Thomas Bauer of German American Marketing Inc., which runs the village, said the removal was in "response to what the managing director … asked for."

However, Negrin, the city's managing director, denied that he had specifically asked for the word to be removed, saying he simply talked with Bauer about the complaints.

"He's a great guy who saw a problem, who was trying to help me," Negrin said.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said that although he hadn't been involved in previous conversations, he called Bauer and asked him to put the word “Christmas” back up.

"We'll have the full 'Christmas Village' sign back in place," Nutter told reporters on Dec. 2.

"I'm totally respectful of any of our public employees or citizens who have a complaint, whether about this or anything else,” the mayor said.

“At the same time, we have any number of employees and citizens … who enjoy this particular kind of commercial enterprise. The Christmas Village is not a religious service."

In a rare decision, a Catholic parish has been held liable for the actions of a priest in the amount of $3 million.

A Delaware jury has ordered St. Elizabeth Church in Wilmington to pay the damages to sex abuse victim John Vai.

The Kent County Superior Court jury said the parish was negligent in its supervision of former priest Francis DeLucia when he was assigned there.

The jury also awarded Vai $30 million from DeLuca, who has admitted he abused Vai in the late 1960s.

Vai charged that Msgr. Thomas Cini, when he was a young parish priest, saw Vai going to DeLuca’s room at the parish rectory and failed to act, the Delaware News Journal reports. Msgr. Cini, now vicar general of the Diocese of Wilmington, gave testimony denying that he saw Vai or any other young child in the rectory or in the area of the priest’s bedroom.

The jury will hear evidence for punitive damages next week. Vai’s lawyers, Thomas S. Neuberger and Stephen J. Neuberger, said they had saved their most damaging evidence for this phase, the New York Times says.

Parishes have previously been held liable for abuse by priests only in one or two cases. Normally a diocese or religious order is held responsible for damage. The Diocese of Wilmington declared bankruptcy last year.

Vai was able to bring his case to court because Delaware passed special “window” laws temporarily lifting the statutes of limitations. California is the only other state that has allowed the suspension of the statute of limitations for abuse cases.

Bishop W. Francis Malooly of Wilmington conveyed a “sincere apology” to Vai for the suffering he experienced. However, he said he was “disappointed that the jury found the people of St. Elizabeth’s liable” for the former priest’s actions.

“It is unfortunate that the parish community of Saint Elizabeth’s is being made to pay for the criminal and sinful acts of someone who was assigned by the diocesan bishop at the time to be one of their priests,” he added in a Dec. 1 statement.

Bishop Malooly maintained that the bishop of the diocese is responsible for the actions of the priest in his diocese.

The Miami priest once known as "Father Oprah," who joined the Episcopal Church after his breaking his Catholic vow of celibacy, announced the birth of his first child on Thursday (Dec. 2).

"With thanksgiving to God, the giver of all life, my wife and I announce the birth of our beautiful baby daughter Camila Victoria Cutie," the Rev. Alberto Cutie said in a posting on his website, http://www.padrealberto.com/.

"There is great joy in being a Father, who is also a `father.' We are truly blessed!"

After photographers caught him canoodling on a beach with his future wife, Ruhama Buni Canellis, Cutie left the Catholic Church in May 2009, saying he could no longer live out his vow of celibacy. The couple married weeks later.

Cutie, 41, was ordained an Episcopal priest last May and was appointed priest-in-charge at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Biscayne Park. His memoir, "Dilemma: A Priest's Struggle with Faith and Love," hits stores on Jan. 4. (gag gag)

The spokesman of the Institute for Family Policy in Spain, Mariano Martinez-Aedo, recently warned that although “large families carry out countless and wide-ranging roles” in the country, they continue to suffer discrimination.

He noted on Dec. 1 that while there are more than one million large families (with five or more children) in the country, only 466,150 of them were recognized as such by the government in 2009.

Martinez-Aedo said pro-family policies in Spain are “practically non-existent,” and that “social aid is confused with family aid.” Income limits are set so low that “the vast majority of families” are not able to quality for the little aid that is available, he explained.

A reform of the policies on large families “is necessary and urgent,” the spokesman continued, saying large families must be “recognized and protected by society and by those in public office.” If not, he continued, they will continue to be the targets of “unjust discrimination.”

Terrorist organizations associated with the Taliban have issued a fatwa against Shabhaz Bhatti, a Catholic layman who serves as Pakistan’s minister for religious minorities.

Bhatti is leading a commission that will consider changes to the nation’s blasphemy law. Christians in Pakistan have charged that the blasphemy law is a source of widespread abuse; members of religious minorities are subject to unsupported allegations that they insulted Islam, and can be convicted without clear evidence.

“My life mission is to protect religious freedom, minority rights, justice and equality,” Bhatti told the Fides news agency. “I will continue to do so without hesitation. My commitment will continue in spite of the claims of these groups, which, among other things, are illegal and damaging the country's image.”

“I am deeply religious, and the Pope’s words are very important in my life,” he added. “I thank him for his closeness and solidarity with the Christians in Pakistan. His solace encourages me to witness to the faith in my life, despite the difficulties. I ask the Holy Father and all the faithful of the world to pray for me.”

Two more Christians have been murdered in Baghdad, as the campaign of violence against Iraq’s religious minority continues unabated.

The latest murders—of an elderly couple, who were stabbed by intruders who broke into their home—occurred on Sunday, December 5. A government spokesman said that the killers were “non-Iraqi” Arabs—hinting that they were foreign terrorists.

An estimated 500 Christian families are now leaving Baghdad and Mosul to seek temporary shelter in the northern region of Kurdistan. The Iraqi government has promised financial help to Christians who leave their homes, but has not been able to ensure security for those who remain in Iraq’s cities.

4:00 – Wikileaks: Terrorist or Champion of Free Press?
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, in the face of increasingly heated criticism and calls for his prosecution, has made it known that he's prepared to unleash a vast reserve of government documents if he's detained on any charges, if the WikiLeaks Web site is shut down, or in the event that he himself is killed. In July, Assange began distributing an encrypted 1.3-gigabyte file over the Internet, which tens of thousands of people have since downloaded. Assange calls this file his "insurance policy," and his lawyer, Mark Stephens, told reporters that Assange will release the encryption key if he's brought to trial for his involvement with WikiLeaks, or for the sex crimes charges ssued by Interpol. Meanwhile PFC Bradley Manning, who allegedly stole a quarter of a million cables over time, passing them to Assange in the name of transparency, sits in custody and is hardly an afterthought. We talk about it with Danielle Pletka of the American Enterprise Institute.

4:20 – Benedict XVI: Christian Radical
As the condom-wars ignited by Benedict XVI’s Light of the World abate, some attention might finally be paid to the book’s broader themes and what they indicate about Benedict’s pontificate. In this regard, perhaps the interview’s most revealing aspect is the picture that emerges of Pope Benedict as nothing more and nothing less than a Christian radical.T hose accustomed to cartoon-like depictions of Joseph Ratzinger as a “reactionary” might be surprised by this description. But by “radical,” our next guest doesn’t mean the type of priest or minister who only wears clerical garb when attending left-wing rallies or publically disputing particular church doctrines. Sam Gregg joins us.

4:40 – Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their cousin Eustace, are swallowed into a painting and transported back to Narnia and the magnificent ship The Dawn Treader. They join King Caspian and a warrior mouse, Reepicheep, for a mission which holds the fate of Narnia itself. They overcome their own greatest temptations, as they travel to mysterious islands, have fateful confrontations with magical creatures and sinister enemies and reunite with their friend and protector, the "Great Lion" Aslan. Nick Thomm has returned from London where he attended the world premiere and press junket for the film and today we play his interview with Will Poulter who played Eustace Scrubb.

5:00 – The Magdala Project: Archaeology and the Historical Jesus
Modern droughts have revealed harbors from Jesus’ time. Early 19th-century explorers, searching for places where Jesus had walked, attempted to locate the ancient harbors of the Sea of Galilee but failed. Now, after 25 years of searching and researching, they have been found. We talk to Fr. Eamon Kelly about the Magdala Project, an effort to promote this type of archaeology in the Middle East to uncover the Historical Jesus!

Most of our liseners are well aware of and proud supporters of the Manhattan Declaration. One of the prime leaders of this effort is a Robert George - a friend and frequent guest of ours. Well, now Apple has pulled the Manhattan Declaration iPhone/iPad application from the iTunes Store following complaints over the ecumenical initiative’s opposition to same-sex so-called marriage. This initiative has been supported by hundreds of thousands across America and beyond, but a handful of gay activists who have an axe to grind seem to have been able to force Apple's hand. Below is a statement from the leaders of the Manhattan Declaration:

To Manhattan Declaration Signers,

Some of you may be aware by now that Apple has removed the Manhattan Declaration iPhone/iPad application from the iTunes Store. This happened some time over the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Manhattan Declaration app was accepted by Apple and rated as a 4+, meaning it contained no objectionable material. Yet Apple pulled the app shortly after a small but very vocal protest by those who favor gay marriage and abortion. These groups claim that the Manhattan Declaration promotes “homophobia” and that its supporters are “anti-gay.”

For Clarity
We emphasize with great sincerity that “disagreement” is not “gay-bashing.” Anyone who takes the time to read the Manhattan Declaration can see that the language used to defend traditional marriage, the sanctity of human life, and religious liberty is civil, non-inflammatory, and respectful.

The Manhattan Declaration clearly calls its signers to reject “disdainful condemnation” of those who disagree and declares that all people are worthy of respect, because all are loved by God.

Recent Developments
We are urging Apple to restore the App, and have written to Steve Jobs. We will update you with developments as they arise.

What you can do to help
Our most recent updates will be communicated through social media. As such, we would love for you to write about this on Facebook and link to this page. If you aren’t already following us, CLICK HERE and become a Fan. Additionally, if you use Twitter, please follow our updates via @ManhattanDec and use the hashtag #mdec whenever you mention this story.

We are also calling on all bloggers to help us share this story with your readers. All we ask is that—in the spirit of the Manhattan Declaration--you keep the dialogue “civil, non-inflammatory, and respectful.”

The Lahore High Court has ruled that Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari cannot pardon Asia Bibi, the 45-year-old Christian mother of five whose death sentence on blasphemy charges has provoked an international outcry. The president is disputing the ruling of the court, which determined that the president cannot issue a pardon while a case is under appeal.

Bibi, a resident of Ittanwali in the eastern province of Punjab, was working at a local farm when the Muslim women with whom she was working called her an infidel and urged her to convert to Islam. Bibi refused, saying that Christianity was the only true religion.

“The Muslim men working in nearby fields also gathered and attacked Asia Bibi on which she fled to village in her home,” the Pakistan Christian Postreported. “The angry Muslims followed her and took her out of home and started beating her. They tortured her children also, but meanwhile someone informed police.”

Bibi also says that her accusers raped her.

Police then arrested Bibi on blasphemy charges. Following a lengthy trial, she was sentenced to death.

Bibi is fearful she will be killed in prison; her family has gone into hiding.

The U.S. bishops commended a resolution in the House of Representatives that condemns recent attacks on religious minorities in Iraq and calls for the U.S. government to work with the Iraqi government to protect these vulnerable groups.

In a November 29 letter to the sponsors of House Resolution 1725, Bishop Howard Hubbard of Albany, New York, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on International Justice and Peace, and Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, co-adjutor archbishop of Los Angeles and chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, called for its immediate passage.

“Our conference welcomes this bipartisan resolution as a way to focus attention on the situation of the vulnerable religious communities in Iraq,” the bishops wrote. “In particular,” they added, “we support the emphasis on developing a comprehensive plan to improve security for religious minorities and to increase their representation in the Government of Iraq and to include them in all aspects of Iraqi society.”

In their letter, the bishops referenced the recent attack in Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad. “The October 31 attack on worshippers in Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad that killed 58 and wounded 75 and the continuing violence against Christians are horrific reminders of the appalling lack of security that has condemned many in Iraq to live in fear,” the bishops said. The House resolution condemns the attack against Our Lady of Salvation Church.

The bishops also welcomed the resolution’s concern for Iraqi refugees and supported its call for measures to accelerate the review of their applications for resettlement and to improve conditions on the ground so that refugees may safely return to Iraq.

“We sincerely hope that H. Res. 1725 will be adopted quickly by the House of Representatives as we believe it will help improve security for all Iraqis, especially Christians and other vulnerable minorities,” the bishops said. “We hope it will contribute to the overall goal of achieving a “responsible transition” that will reduce further loss of life and address the refugee crisis in Iraq.”

4:00 – Apologetics for the Twenty-first Century
The vibrant and persuasive arguments of C. S. Lewis brought about a shift in the discipline of apologetics, moving the conversation from the ivory tower to the public square. The resulting strain of popular apologetics—which weaves through Lewis into twentieth-century writers like Francis Schaeffer and modern apologists like William Lane Craig, Josh McDowell, and Lee Strobel—has equipped countless believers to defend their faith against its detractors. Apologetics for the Twenty-first Century uses Lewis’s work as the starting point for an absorbing survey of the key apologists and major arguments that inform apologetics today. Like apologists before him, Louis Markos writes to engage Christians of all denominations as well as seekers and skeptics. His narrative, “man of letters” style and short chapters make his latest book easily accessible for the general reader. He joins us.

5:00 – The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early ChurchThe Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church is a unique resource. It introduces you to the teachings of the first Christians in a way no other work can. It is specially designed to make it easy for you to find the information you want and need. Amazing features in this fact-packed book include: - More than 900 quotations from the writings of the early Church Fathers, as well as from rare and important documents dating back to the dawn of Christian history. - Mini-biographies of nearly 100 Fathers, as well as descriptions of dozens of key early councils and writings. - A concise history of the dramatic spread of Christianity after Jesus told his disciples to evangelize all nations. - A guide to nearly 30 ancient heresies, many of which have returned to haunt the modern world. - The Fathers' teaching on nearly 50 topics, including modern hot-button issues like abortion, homosexuality, and divorce. Author Jimmy Akin is with us.